Titans have little trouble with Ducks in top-10 matchup

EUGENE — Round 1 of the top-10 matchup at PK Park this weekend went to visiting Cal State Fullerton, by knockout.

EUGENE — Round 1 of the top-10 matchup at PK Park this weekend went to visiting Cal State Fullerton, by knockout.

The fifth-ranked Titans were better in all three phases of the game Friday night, chasing UO ace Tommy Thorpe after six earned runs and keeping the No. 9 Ducks off the scoreboard into the ninth inning of a 9-2 victory. The series continues today at 2 p.m.

"I don't think Thorpe was awful; I think they kicked our rear ends," said UO coach George Horton, who was honored before the game for his 900th career win earlier this month, 490 of which came at Fullerton from 1997 through 2007.

"Fourteen hits in this ballpark on a Friday, and nine runs, is a whooping. We got beat in a lot of different ways."

The Ducks suffered their first loss in nine games this season. They'll look to turn it around today behind freshman phenom Matt Krook, who has 19 strikeouts and three walks in two starts this season.

"That sets up a pretty intriguing thing, to see Matt Krook — who has been very poised — against a team that puffed our lip and bloodied our noses," Horton said. "That's why I can't wait for tomorrow. I wish we could play right now."

Part of that was excitement at seeing Krook's PK Park debut, but part was also frustration at Friday's result.

Thorpe fell to 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA after giving up seven runs total, including a five-run fourth inning. He made some mechanical adjustments for this start after some inconsistencies to open the season, and through two innings against the Titans they seemed to be paying dividends.

Fullerton scored an unearned run in the third, capitalizing on an error by new UO first baseman A.J. Balta, who was filling in at the position with Scott Heineman out injured and Mitchell Tolman shifted across the diamond to third. The Titans scratched across two more with a walk and three soft singles in the fourth, before Thorpe hung a slider that Matt Chapman put just over the left-field fence.

The three-run homer gave Fullerton a 6-0 lead, and they'd add another in the fifth off Thorpe.

OREGON STATE 7, WRIGHT STATE 0 — At Corvallis, Andrew Moore tossed 72/3 shutout innings and Dylan Davis drove in four to pace fourth-ranked Oregon State to a win at Goss Stadium.

The win marked the Beavers' 11th straight to open a season at home and pushed Oregon State's record to 7-2 this season. Wright State, meanwhile, dropped to 2-6.

Moore picked up the win and improved to 1-1 this season. The sophomore struck out six and threw 103 pitches in his third start of the season.

Moore retired the last nine batters he faced. His only two hits allowed were singles in the second and fourth innings, belonging to Jeff Limbaugh and Andrew McCafferty, respectively.

Davis pushed his season RBI total to 13 with a 2-for-3 effort, while Kavin Keyes continued his hot streak with a 3-for-4 night. He flew out to right late in the game, snapping a streak of eight consecutive at bats with a hit.

Michael Howard also finished with three hits to help the Beavers offensively. Oregon State tallied 10 hits to the Raiders' two while also taking three walks with none issued by Moore and reliever Kevin Flemer.

Oregon State put crooked numbers on the board in the first, third and fifth inning. OSU scored two in the first on a ground out by Michael Conforto and sacrifice fly to left by Davis, who then drove in two in the third.

Howard highlighted the Beavers' three-run fifth with a two-run single following an RBI-groundout off the bat of Davis.

Wright State starter Travis Hissong took the loss and dropped to 1-2 this season. The righty allowed eight hits and seven runs — five earned — in five innings of work.

The Beavers learned before the game that their appeal of Ben Wetzler's NCAA sanction was denied. The senior is still slated to make his debut in Sunday's series finale.

Oregon State and Wright State continue their series with a doubleheader today at Goss Stadium. First pitch for Game 1 is slated for 12:35 p.m. Game 2 will start approximately 30-45 minutes after the completion of the opener.

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